# Post-secondary expectations

**Do we expect our child to go to university?**

What you expect your child to do after high school: university, any further training, trades, a gap year, or their own choice.

In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: University expected; Some post-secondary of any type; Trades equally valued; Gap year welcome; The child's call. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: teen.

- Area: School and academics
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: Teen
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/school-and-academics--post-secondary-expectations

## Post-secondary expectations: what are the options?

1. **University expected**: You expect the child to attend university.
2. **Some post-secondary of any type**: You expect some education after high school, of any kind.
3. **Trades equally valued**: Skilled trades are valued as much as university.
4. **Gap year welcome**: A year off before further study is welcome.
5. **The child's call**: The child decides what comes after high school.

## Post-secondary expectations: what does the evidence say?

**Your call.** No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

41% of US parents call a college degree extremely or very important for their child

Sources:

- [Pew](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/)

## What else is worth knowing?

Children absorb what their parents assume about life after high school long before the decision arrives. Options include university, college, trades, work and a gap year. Your expectations also affect how you save.

## Questions to ask each other

- What are our hopes for after high school?
- How would we feel if our child chose a different path?
- Who will pay, and how will we talk about it?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=school-and-academics&topic=school-and-academics--post-secondary-expectations